The present invention relates to covers for air bag devices that protect passengers of high speed moving bodies, such as vehicles, and more particularly, to covers having an emblem. More specifically, the present invention relates to an improved structure for attaching the emblem in the cover.
Air bag devices, such as driver seat air bag devices and passenger seat air bag devices, are widely used to protect passengers from the impact produced during a vehicle collision. A driver seat air bag device is typically mounted on a boss of a steering wheel and includes a gas injecting inflator, an air bag, and a cover accommodating the air bag in a folded state. During collision of the vehicle, the gas injected from the inflator inflates the air bag. This ruptures the cover, which is made of a soft resin, and forms an opening in the cover. Accordingly, the air bag is inflated through the opening toward the vehicle""s driver.
The air bag devices, particularly those for the drivers, often include a cover having an ornament plate, which is called an emblem. One known structure for attaching the emblem on the cover (for example, as described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication Nos. 10-273004 and 11-189119) includes a recess formed in a front side of the cover and a plurality of through holes each extending through a wall of the recess. The recess receives the emblem having a plurality of projections projecting rearward from the emblem. Each projection is extended through the associated through hole, and a distal end of the projection is bent along an inner side of the cover.
That is, in this structure, the projections of the emblem are first extended through the associated holes extending through the cover. Next, the distal ends of the projections are bent toward one another such that the distal ends are overlapped with one another. The overlapped portion of the projections are then riveted together to secure the emblem to the cover.
In this structure, in which the projections are extended through the holes, the projections are bent along the inner side of the cover, and the distal ends of the projections are riveted together, thus securing the emblem to the cover, the distal ends of the projections must be overlapped with one another accurately before riveting these ends. Since the distal ends are relatively small, the procedure is extremely complicated.
Accordingly, it is an objective of the present invention to provide a cover for an air bag device that facilitates the connection of the emblem to the cover.
Further, in the above emblem attaching structure, the projections may become loose in the holes, causing the emblem to become loose from the cover.
Thus, it is another objective of the present invention to provide a cover for an air bag device that securely connects an emblem to the cover and prevents loosening of the cover.
A cover for an air bag device according to the present invention includes an emblem attached to an outer side of the air bag device, wherein the emblem includes a main plate arranged on an outer side of the cover and a connecting extension projecting from an outer periphery of the main plate in a rearward direction of the emblem, and the extension is extended through a hole extending through the cover and a distal end of the extension is bent. The cover is configured so that the distal end of the extension is secured to the cover by means of a welding body.
In the cover for the air bag device, after the extension is extended through the hole of the cover and is bent, the extension is fixed by means of welding. This secures the emblem to the cover. This facilitates attachment of the emblem to the cover. Further, the extension is covered by the welding body to prevent the extension from directly contacting the emblem. In addition, since the extension is fixed by the welding body, the emblem is prevented from becoming loose.
A cover for an air bag device according to the present invention is a cover for an air bag device having an emblem attached to an outer side of the air bag device, wherein the emblem includes a main plate arranged on an outer side of the cover and a connecting extension projecting from an outer periphery of the main plate in a rearward direction of the emblem, and the extension is extended through a hole extending through the cover and a distal end of the extension is bent. The cover is characterized in that a projection or a modified portion is provided in a portion of the extension received in the hole, and the projection or the modified portion is pressed against a wall of the hole.
In the cover for the air bag device, the extension closely contacts the wall of the hole to prevent the emblem from becoming loose.
A cover for an air bag device according to the present invention is a cover for an air bag device having an emblem attached to an outer side of the air bag device, wherein the emblem includes a main plate arranged on an outer side of the cover and a connecting extension projecting from an outer periphery of the main plate in a rearward direction of the emblem, and the extension is extended through a hole extending through the cover and a distal end of the extension is bent. The cover is characterized in that the extension is shaped as a thin plate, the hole is shaped as a slit, a longitudinal direction of the slit-like hole extends diagonally with respect to a width direction of the thin plate-like extension, and opposite ends of the extension in the width direction are pressed against corners of a wall of the hole.
In the cover for the air bag device, the opposite ends of the extension closely contact the corners of the wall of the hole, thus preventing the emblem from becoming loose.
A cover for an air bag device according to the present invention is a cover for an air bag device having an emblem attached to an outer side of the air bag device, wherein the emblem includes a main plate arranged on an outer side of the cover and a connecting extension projecting from an outer periphery of the main plate in a rearward direction of the emblem, and the extension is extended through a hole extending through the cover and a distal end of the extension is bent. The cover is characterized in that the extension is shaped as a thin plate, the hole is shaped as a slit, an opening dimension of the slit-like hole in a lateral direction is smaller than a thickness of the extension when the extension is not extended through the hole, and the extension is clamped by a wall of the hole.
In the cover for the air bag device, the extension is clamped by the slit-like hole and is thus prevented from moving in the hole. This prevents the emblem from becoming loose.
A cover for an air bag device according to the present invention (claim 5) is a cover for an air bag device having an emblem attached to an outer side of the air bag device, wherein the emblem includes a main plate arranged on an outer side of the cover and a connecting extension projecting from an outer periphery of the main plate in a rearward direction of the emblem, and the extension is extended through a hole extending through the cover and a distal end of the extension is bent. The cover is characterized in that the hole is shaped as a slit, and sides of the extension are pressed against longitudinal ends of the hole.
In the cover for the air bag device, the sides of the extension are pressed against the ends of the hole, thus preventing the emblem from becoming loose.
A cover for an air bag device according to the present invention is a cover for an air bag device having an emblem attached to an outer side of the air bag device, wherein the emblem includes a main plate arranged on an outer side of the cover and a connecting extension projecting from an outer periphery of the main plate in a rearward direction of the emblem, and the extension is extended through a hole extending through the cover and a distal end of the extension is bent. The cover is characterized in that a projection abutting against a rear side of the emblem in the vicinity of the extension is formed integrally with the cover.
In the cover for the air bag device, a front side portion of the emblem near the extension is prevented from being bent together with the extension when the extension is bent. Accordingly, the appearance of the emblem attached to the cover is enhanced.
A cover for an air bag device according to the present invention is a cover for an air bag device having an emblem attached to an outer side of the air bag device, wherein the emblem includes a main plate arranged on an outer side of the cover and a connecting extension projecting from an outer periphery of the main plate in a rearward direction of the emblem, and the extension is extended through a hole extending through the cover and a distal end of the extension is bent. The cover is characterized in that an extended portion or a bent portion is provided in the extension for engaging with an edge of the hole at a rear side of the cover.
In the cover for the air bag device, the extension having the extended portion is extended through the hole such that the extension is not separated from the hole. This improves the work efficiency for attaching the emblem on the cover.
In this case, if a projection abutting against a front side of the cover projects from an outer periphery of the cover the emblem is reliably prevented from becoming loose in a direction perpendicular to the front side of the cover (attaching direction).
A cover for an air bag device according to the present invention is a cover for an air bag device having an emblem attached to an outer side of the air bag device, wherein the emblem includes a main plate arranged on an outer side of the cover and a connecting extension projecting from an outer periphery of the main plate in a rearward direction of the emblem, and the extension is extended through a hole extending through the cover and a distal end of the extension is bent. The cover is characterized in that an engaging portion with which the bent distal end of the extension engages is provided on a rear side of the cover.
In the cover for the air bag device, the extension is secured by bending the extension to engage the extension with the engaging portion. Afterwards, the extension may be secured by a welding body.
A cover for an air bag device according to the present invention is a cover for an air bag device having an emblem including a main plate and a plurality of tabs extending in different direction separating from the main plate, characterized in that an opening extends through the cover with the main plate fitted in the opening from the rear side of the cover, and the tab is embedded in the cover.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only, and are not restrictive of the invention as claimed.